Dr. Tom Olali won the Jomo Kenyatta prize for Kiswahili Fiction with his book Watu wa Gehena (People from hell) beating John Habwe's Pamba and Geoffery Mung'ou Mkakasi. The Kiswahili department takes this opportunity to congratulate mwalimu Olali for this win.

Dr. Tom Olali is a senior lecturer in the department of Kiswahili at the University of Nairobi. He holds a PhD in African Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and MA in Swahili studies from the University of Nairobi. He teaches Swahili novel and Swahili Islamic civilization. His works include ‘An English Rendition of a Classical Swahili Poetry’, ‘The Performance of a Swahili Poem during the Maulidi Festival’,‘Performing Arts in Lamu ‘, ‘Mwongozo wa Utengano ‘, ‘Mafamba’(Nominee Wahome Mutahi Prize for Literature) ‘Watu wa Gehenna’( Winner Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature 2013)